Iron Man, James Bond and the Joker: We beat the critics and Ben Affleck’s Batman could too

Ben Affleck will be playing Batman in the 2015 Man Of Steel sequel (Picture: EPA)

Ben Affleck is the wrong man to play Batman. So say the doubters who believe the Oscar winning actor/director is an awful choice to play the Dark Knight in the forthcoming Superman sequel, Batman Vs Superman.

Whether Affleck can do it justice playing the Caped Crusader is something we’ll have to wait until 2015 for, when Batman Vs Superman opens either to critical acclaim or just plain criticism.

However, the Argo star isn’t the only actor to come under scrutiny for a role. Others have found themselves in similar situations but have proved the critics wrong.

In 2004, with scripts being written for the latest film in the James Bond franchise, Pierce Brosnan announced he was stepping down from the role he’d helped to revitalise. So a new man was needed to play the role of 007.

With the Bourne films giving spy flicks an added edge, James Bond had some catching up to do. The list of possible Bonds was long, but when Daniel Craig was chosen to play the British spy, he faced a lot of criticism.

Internet campaigns stated Craig was the wrong man for the role, while The Mirror newspaper ran a story headlined ‘The name’s Bland – James Bland’. However, Craig had the last laugh.

Casino Royale was met with critical acclaim and successfully breathed life into what was a struggling franchise, with Craig putting in a formidable performance as 007.

And his emergence out of the sea as Bond, as a homage to past Bond Girls Ursula Andress and Halle Berry, left many ladies (and men) swooning.

Follow up Quantum Of Solace may not have hit the dizzy heights of its predecessor but 2012’s Skyfall got things back on track, winning the best British film award at the Baftas; it was also the highest-grossing film at British cinemas.

Without Craig, James Bond’s contract at MI6 may have been terminated by now.

Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man in Avengers Assemble (Picture: Disney)

Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man

There’s no way Robert Downey Jr can cut it as a superhero. Well that was the opinion circa 2007 when he was cast as Iron Man.

At the time, Downey Jr was best known for playing Charlie Chaplin, starring in Ally McBeal and struggling with substance abuse, with numerous periods in and out of rehab.

Even Iron Man director Jon Favreau had to defend his choice for the lead role, stating: ‘Downey wasn’t the most obvious choice, but he understood what makes the character tick.’

Fast forward six years and Downey Jr has three Iron Man films under his belt, along with an appearance in Avengers Assemble, with a sequel to the superhero ensemble flick on the cards.

Downey Jr has brought charm, wit and humour to the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man and he was arguably the most coveted superhero in Avengers Assemble, reportedly earning more than £32million. It looks like Downey Jr will have a few more appearances in his numerous suits yet.

Jack Nicholson did such a good role as the Joker in the 1989 Batman film, with Michael Keaton playing the Caped Crusader, that anyone trying to play the sociopath with the creepiest of smiles was going to have a struggle on their hands.

Heath Ledger was no exception. At the time, he was best known for his role in Brokeback Mountain, which led to his best actor Oscar nomination.

But that didn’t deter Ledger from putting in a performance in 2008’s The Dark Knight that defied all expectation of how a comic book baddie can be portrayed on the silver screen.

He threw everything into the role, including staying in character long after the cameras stopped rolling each day, and the actor was one of the shining lights of one of the best superheroes films to hit the big screen.

Sadly before the Dark Knight was released, Ledger was found dead following an accidental prescription drug overdose. However, he did win a posthumous best supporting actor Oscar for his role as the Joker.

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